Improvement in loom



WMFLLJM.

N.PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D. C4

ERASTUS BRIGHAM BIGELOW,

OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 101,088, dated March 22, 1870.

`l M Y IMPROVEMENT IN LOOM.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pali: of the same I, ERAsTUs BRIGHAM BreELow, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ot' Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Harness-Operating Mechanism for Power-Looms, of which `the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an arrangement and coni-A bination of mechanism, whereby a series of leaves of heddles of a power-loom may be operated in such manner as to produce'varied patterns of cloth.

In the accompanying drawings. which embody my invention- Figure 1 is a front elevation of` my improvements, and such other parts of a loom as are necessary to'exemplify them.

Fignre 2, a left-hand elevation thereof.

Figure 3, a sectional plan, taken on the line A B in fig. 1, with the leaves of heddles removed.

Figure 4, a rear elevation of a part of the loom.

The loom-frame is marked a, the lav-shaft l), and the leaves of heddles c.

A series of heddle-levers, d, (corresponding in numberwith the leaves of the heddles) are placed ma horizontal position 'below'the leaves of' heddles, and oscillate on a central'axis, e. l

Their inner ends are severally connected with tbe lower edges of the leaves of heddles by rods, f, and their outer ends to the upper edges of said leaves of heddles by rods, g; and cords, l1., the cords h passing over` grooved guide-pulleys, i, as is usual, to change their direction of motion. In lieu of the ,cords l1', chains, or bands of steel, or other metal, or wires, twisted together or otherwise, may besubstituted.

To theouter ends of the horizontal heddle-levers d, latch-levers, j, are jointed, whereby power may be applied, either to lift or depress the leaves of heddles, in

.conformity with any desired pattern.

The latch-levers j are formed with hooks, one on each end thereof, (as shown 4in detail in tig. 5,) which engage interchangably with lifting-bars, k.

The lifting-hars k vibrate on studs, l, and are actuated by a double-crank on the lay-shaft b and the connecting-rods m, as is usual. `When they are closed they grasp the heddle-levers, and by bringing them to a central position (as represented in the drawings) close the shed ofthe warps; and when they are opened they lift or depress the leaves of' heddles, according as the latch-levers are tilted, and form the open shed.

The upper arms of the latch-levers are formed with cam-like projections, n, which are acted on by similar projections, o, on the dependingr arms oi' a series of balance-levels, p, which oscillate on a stud, (j, and have weights, lr, axed to their upper ends.

The cam-like projections n, when unsupported, act as weights to draw the upper hooks of the latch-levers away from the upper lifting-bar, and throw `their lower hooks under the lower lifting-bar; and when they are weights fr, when unsupported, (being superior to the weight of the projections 11,) will push the upper hooks of the latch-levers over the upper lifting-bar, and with-. draw their lower hooks from the lower lifting-bar.

Now, suppose all the projections Yn to be unsupported, the lower hooks oi'ail the latch-levers willengagc with the lower lifting-bar, and all the leaves of heddles will be raised; then, ou the other hand, snppose the weights fr of all the balance-levers to be nns'upported, they `will canse the upper hooks of allV the latch-levers to engage with the upper lifting-bar, and` all the leaves of heddles will be depressed.

To govern the action of the balance-levers, and determine which. of' the leaves of heddles shall be raised and which depressed to form the shed, a pattern-surface, formed on a cylinder, or on a chain or. band carried by a cylinder, is employed, which has camlike projections s arranged upon it-s surface, in accordancewith the figure to be wrought. It is carried by an axis, t, which turns in a long bearing projection from a` stand, n, aiiixed to the loomframe,.one end of the avis t being free, to facilitate the changing of the pattern-surface. It has a continuous rotary movement imparted to it by the lay-shaft b,` through the action of the worm i: and gear w; and to enable the weaver 4to adjust the position ot' the pattern-surface relative to the other moving parts ofthe loom, the worm'may be attached to the lay-,shaft by a clutch, capable ot'- being disengaged when an adjustment is to be made.

When the pattern-surface revolves, its cam-like projections s act on similar projectionsx on the weighted ends of' the balance levers, and raise them.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the latch-levers, acted on by the balance-levers, which are thus raised by the pattern-surface, and supported when the lifting-bars close the shed, -will engage with the lower lifting-bars and those acted on by the balance-levers, which are not so raised and supported, will engage with the upper lifting-bar; and` that when the lifting-bars are opened, the leaves of heddles will be raised or depressed accordingly.

By thus shifting the latch-levers by the weights` of the balance-levers, `instead of the positive action ot' the pattcrn-suriace, as is usual, the pattern-surface may act on the balance-levers to effect its changes whilst the latch-levers are engaged with the liftingbars, and its continuousrotary movement thus becomes practicable. The loom is also thus made capable of beingturned backward without changing the relation oi' the pattern-surface to its other moving parts.

To prevent the unsupported weights of the balancelevers from throwing the lower'hooks of their latch levers oit of the lower lifting-bar, when the projections u by their closing movement 'strike against 0r -rcst upon the projections o, and also to prevent an untimely escape of the latch-levers iom the lifting-bars during their vibration, latch-hooks, y, are employed, which hook on to the ends of the latch-levers and hold them in position whilst they are in action, and are withdrawn when they are to be shifted.

The latch-hooks y are carried by shafts, z, which oscillate in stands, a?, affixed to the lifting-bars It, before described.l

The latch-hook of the upper lifting-bar tends toward the latch-levers by its own gravity, while that of the lower lifting-bar is drawn toward them by a coiled spring, b', and, when left free to do so, they will respectively hook onto the ends of' the latch-levers and hold them in position.

To allow the latch-levers to be shifted, the latchhooks are released by arms, c', which, when the liftingbars are about completing their closing movement,

i strike against stops, d,'on a stand, `e, projecting from the loom-frame, and turn the shafts z far'enough to release the latch-looks. 'lhen, when the lifting-bars begin their opening movement, the arms c leave the l stops d', and allow the latch-hooks to hook onto the 'without departing from its distinguishing principles,

What I claim as new therein, and desire to securey by Letters Patent, is-

l. rlhe within-described construction and arrangement oi a series of leaves of hedd1es,and a corresponding series of horizontalr heddle-levers by which they are actuated, said horizontal heddle-levers being placed below said leaves of l'ieddles, and having centrallypivoted latch-levers, by which they may be either ele- Vated or depressed, jointed to their outer ends, as herein described.

2. 1u combination with the above, a continuouslyrotating pattern-surface and balance-levers, which transmit the governing action of said pattern-surface l tothe latch-levers, substantially as described. l

ERASTUS B. BIGELOW.

Witnesses:

HERBERT T. WHITMAN, ELIZA F. BIGnLoW. 

